


winter fever

by PhoenixStart



Category: When The Night Comes (Visual Novel)
Genre: Comfort, Fever, I'm Bad At Tagging, Other, Sick Fic, Sorry Not Sorry, fan hunter - Freeform, fluff?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-09-06 22:37:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20299075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixStart/pseuds/PhoenixStart
Summary: Zara doesn't handle winter weather very well, but refuses to stop working due to a cold, or take care of themself.Luckily they've found a family that will make sure they're taken care of.





	winter fever

**Author's Note:**

> first fanfic of the yearrrr with my New Obsession tm, WTNC.
> 
> My Hunter is a stubborn baby who doesn't take care of themself cause they're busy taking care of everyone else.  
Hunter : Zara Evelyn, They/Them, 5'2. (Please, imagine them standing next to finn,,, smol,,,,)
> 
> (P.S sorry if people are out of character, getting the hang of writing still!)

  
Alkar and Omen had noticed Zara had been a little distant all day, waving to them but quickly excusing themself to continue their patrol, or go shopping, or whatever excuse they could find. They didn't seem too keen on being touched today either, which Alkar wasn't going to push. Omen gave them a look but resigned himself to wait for an answer.  
Sure it was odd, but there's probably a reason for it and they'll talk about it if they want to.  
It's not like it hasn't happened before, after a nightmare. Sometimes they need contact to ground themself and sometimes they can't stand the feeling for a while.  
As Alkar watches them head for the forest to patrol after greeting him by the tavern he decides he'll ask next time he sees them, just to be sure they're okay.

  
Two hours pass, The sun dipping further towards dusk as Lunaris' residents go about their day. Alkar eventually gets bored of the tavern without Omen to help, having left to talk to his sister, and lazily makes his way back to his cave, trailing paths on memory until he smells something familiar.  
  
The Hunter.  
  
Immediately Alkar turns and tracks the scent, trying to seek out Zaras browns and blacks, a dash of purple and that shock of teal hair among the snow. Eventually he spots them but.. _lower_ than he expected.  
He sees a hand raise in a small wave before dropping back into the snow as he approaches. Looking over them and seeing how they found an open area of snow and layed down in it, leaving small human sized pocket in the white expanse.  
  
Confused and unsure if he should question them Alkar just.. drops down next to them in the cold and stares up at the canopy of bare branches, shivering as the snow bites the back of his neck and the cold seeps through his clothing.  
“I have a fever” Zara quietly confesses beside him, almost resistant to share. Alkar turns his head to look at them and takes in their slightly flushed face and pained eyes, the same eyes they have when they spend too long refusing to wear their glasses. So, a headache.

  
Alkar props himself up on his elbow and presses the back of his other hand to their forehead. Watching as their eyes flutter closed at the touch, and feeling the heat coming from them.  
It's hard to tell how bad the fever is, due the high temperatures he's used to, but as he reaches for their hand and feels how _freezing_ the rest of them is, and sees their lips and skin losing their warmth he realizes they've been laying in this snow to combat the warmth for far too long.  
  
A sense of guilt bubbles up before he can stop it. _I should've asked earlier, I should've made sure they were okay before letting them wander off like that. _

He squashes those thoughts before pushing himself up out of the snow.  
“I- shit, Zara how long have you been here?” The words escape more panicked than he wanted as he gently tries to pull them up into a sitting position.  
  
They smile sheepishly as his worried gaze passes over them, trying to figure out how cold they are and if they need to go to Ezra or just warm up. “Uhhh... I'm honestly not sure, I lost track of time after about 40 minutes?” The glare he tries to shoot them is lackluster, more concern than anger or annoyance.  
They squeeze his hand before moving to try to stand up, their legs don't seem to enjoy that and Alkar catches them as they stumble, he mutters a few curses before scooping them up into his arms and booking it to Ezras in a panic.  
  
_They should be fine right? But what if its worse than it looks, how do sicknesses even affect Hunters? They can fight a monster and not a cold, really?_  
  
He's snapped out of his thoughts as the Hunter, _their_ Hunter, chuckles at his pace and concerned expression before reaching a hand up to pat his cheek. “I'll be _fiiine_ Alkar, I almost always get sick in the winter, I've weathered through it in far worse conditions.” Though he doesn't slow his pace at the information, noting to ask them just how little they've taken care of themself in the past later. He does calm a bit as they talk. “But thank you, love. I'm... glad to have someone care so much.”

When he glances at them, slowing a little as they near Ezras shop, their eyes are closed and they rest their head against his chest.  
  
They'll talk more later, for now, medicine.  
  
He moves to kick at the door with his hands too busy to knock, only for it to fly open just as he reaches it with a concerned Omen holding it open and Ezra looking confused only for a moment behind him before taking in the scene and ushering them both inside.  
“What's wrong?” Omen gets to the question first as Ezra closes the door, obviously scanning Zara for any injuries.  
His hands hover near by but he doesn't reach for them yet, as Alkar sees a little flicker of flame in Omens hair, he pulls his hand back and resigns himself to wait in fear of burning their hunter.  
  
They open their eyes for a moment before glaring at the lights and closing them again, sighing. “I'm sick.” Their voice is often tired, but this is a different kind of tired. It's not sleepy or calm, it's drained and takes effort. “ 'm fine just a fever, need rest.”  
Alkar scoffs at that as Ezra nudges them into the back room and tells him to lay the Hunter on his couch.  
  
They pull Alkar down with them, with minimal resistance on his part, and he settles to sit by them as they lay their head on his lap. He catches a small smile on Ezras face when he glances at them between grabbing things from cabinets and the front room.  
  
Omen stands in the doorway for a minute, concern etched on his face, before Alkar catches his gaze and gestures to the space next to him on the couch.  
Ezra returns after a while, pausing in the doorway to take in the image of Zara napping already, head in Alkars lap, Omen resting his head on his shoulder with their tails inevitably entwined hidden behind them, with Alkar looking both flustered and content.  
  
It didn't take long for Ezra to gather what he needed, a simple remedy, something for the headache. The Hunter isn't in concern of freezing anymore, not with Alkar and Omen at their side. Their fever isn't as bad as it inevitably was earlier, they were somewhat right that they just need rest and to take proper care of themself. _Though they should've done that before this happened._  
__  
Nothing can be done about that now, though. 

Despite Alkars suggestion to just carry them back to his place so they don't have to walk, the Hunter laughs and sets off ahead of them before almost losing their balance and feeling two differently warm hands on either arm steadying them.  
A sheepish smile and a resorted slower pace later, they make their way back, determined to make sure Zara is rested and taken care of properly.  
  
Ezra made sure they were set with everything they needed before letting them leave, and offered to tell August that Zara wouldn't be reporting back until tomorrow or later due to a fever.  
After more instructions than needed,  
  
“Ezra, I know how to handle a fever”  
“Are you _sure_?”  
“...I feel like I should be offended?”  
  
They set off as the sun was finally setting, bathing the town in a warm light that the Hunter always marvels at, no matter how many times they see it. Warm and cold tinted lights mixing together through the streets until they reach the edge of town.  
They're shivering by the time they reach the cave but a quick hand to their cheek lets Alkar and Omen know it's the biting cold and not their fever causing them to shake.  
  
The Hunter is quickly dragged to the bed and wrapped in a hug and blankets by Omen as Alkar sets their bag down and makes sure to leave the things Ezra gave them out so they don't forget them before falling into the bed with the other two, both already falling asleep despite the early night.  
Their tails entwined, draped over their Hunter, they keep an eye on Zara as they fall asleep between their warmth.  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> You can find me at my VisNov (currently mostly WTNC/Errant Kingdom) tumblr or my art tumblr!  
https://zaraevelyn.tumblr.com/  
https://phoenixstart.tumblr.com/  
There's also art of Zara there if you want visual reference for them!  
Thank you for reading <3


End file.
